Monastic community of Mount Athos

A self-governing republic of monasteries inside Greece The Athos peninsula is governed by its 20 Orthodox monasteries, which together form the Holy Community and run its administration from Karyes, while a governor appointed by the Greek state looks after public order. Its special status is written into the Greek constitution and was preserved when Greece joined the European Union. The most famous rule is the avaton, a centuries-old ban on women entering, which extends to female domestic animals. It is a rare case of territory inside a modern democracy that is run collectively by religious houses.